How to Host a Halloween Party… for Dogs

Dogs love fall just as much as we do: brisk walks, hours of snuggles and plenty of leaf piles to jump in. As humans, our favorite part has to be seeing that furry friend all dressed up for Halloween. Since there are already tons of festive costume ideas out there for your pups (see here and here), why not throw a Halloween party for your furry BFF and all their closest canine friends? Call up the gang, bust out the treats and use these tips to host the cutest Halloween party ever.

1. Send Your Invitations: Set the tone with creative, adorable and silly invitations for your human and dog guests. You can create your own festive invitations on zazzle (we love this one from evite too), or you can stick with tried-and-true paper invitations. You don’t need to spend a lot on invitations — the concept of a dog Halloween party sells itself.

2. Pick the Perfect Costume: One of the advantages of having a dog is they’re usually pretty cool with wearing a hot dog costume. If you’re going for a low-cost, low-maintenance look, have some fun with it. Our favorite ideas include attaching a heart-shaped “ty” tag to your dog’s collar or picking up a child’s costume from a thrift store and cutting holes where necessary.

3. Get Crafty with Decorations: Create the perfect ambiance with DIY decorations and dim lighting. If you plan on having balloons and streamers, just make sure they’re taped to a place where a dog can’t mistake them for a snack or toy.

4. Plan Your Activities: Whether it’s a costume contest or a create-your-own agility course, all dog-filled activities will be fun for them and super instagram-worthy. Give treats as prizes and make sure to have plenty of spots where they can hydrate between activities. If kids are coming to your party, you can even do dog-themed games for kids.

5. Prepare Pumpkin Dog Treats: High in fiber and full of antioxidants, pumpkin is great for dogs. They may not be able to enjoy pumpkin spice lattes, but they won’t be missing out on their chance to be #basic with some yummy homemade treats. You can even taste test a few with your own dog the day before (try these asiago and apple ones for a variety of snacks).

6. Put Together Party Favors: Send everyone home with a doggy bag of treats, like a small toy, dog treat recipes or even a gift card to a local pet store. We also recommend taking pics of each dog with their parent and emailing them later with a short thank-you note from you and your dog.

7. Get Someone on Camera: Don’t let FOMO prevail in the photo department. Hire a neighbor to take smartphone videos, or coordinate who’s documenting what with other pet parents in attendance. Either way, there’s no way you’re hosting a gathering of dogs in costume without photo or video evidence. Because, cuteness.

What are your puppy-proof party tips? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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